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Checotan Duskpelt
Checotan Duskpelt is the Sakem, or Chieftain, of the Shadowhoof Tribe. Born into a small tribe with few prospects, Checotan can frequently be heard commenting on his good fortune. He finds great fulfillment in his mate, Kurshaw Shadowhoof, and is in many ways both her opposite and complement. He subscribes to her political philosophy, but expresses it in a distinctly different manner. Appearance Currently in his prime, he has the large, stocky physique of most male tauren. His pelt is a dusky grey-blue (the source of his family’s namesake), and his eyes match this color. He prefers to wear his beard in a set of triple braids, and he often tugs on them when thinking deeply. He eschews horn carvings and piercings in favor of a single metal horn ring, which has great personal significance for him. Background Family Relations Checotan was born in Desolace. His tribe, called the Duskpelts, was a small collection of blood relatives with whom he traveled the barren landscape, wandering from camp to camp in search of nourishment and respite. It was a difficult life. The tribe couldn’t feed more than fifteen members, so when they grew too large, several members would have to split off and join one of the other nomadic tribes in the area. There were many dangers: marauding centaurs often raided their encampment; large packs of hungry hyenas would come patrolling; stinging scorpids often killed infants. But there were joyful elements, too: the comfort of knowing one’s family, the rare and jubilant meetings of several tribes at once, and the long nights around the fire, telling stories. Living so close to the land, Checotan grew up intensely devoted to the Earthmother and her rituals. This innate spirituality is something he appears to have an inherited from his father, Indatawake, with whom he was very close. A Lost Trial Adulthood comes early for the Duskpelts: most pass through their Rite of Adulthood when they reach twenty years old. Checotan and his cousin, Onoc, were no exception -- though, perhaps, they were under more pressure than usual. Since Onoc’s father was considered tribal leader, the two youths would be compared after completing their Rite to see who might inherit that unofficial leadership. Checotan and Onoc completed their rituals in decidedly different ways. Onoc, ever the pragmatist, decided the best idea was to show off his virility and strength by killing as many centaurs as possible. He collected a dozen heads. Checotan, on the other hand, used his extensive knowledge of herbs to purify the stagnant pools of water near several centaur settlements. Onoc won. Wandering Years Checotan knew, after “losing” the unspoken contest around his rite, that he would be asked to leave for the benefit of the tribe - as the next leader, Onoc would be taking wives and having children, and that would mean many new mouths to feed. He would wander the lands of Desolace and Feralas, moving here or there on a whim. His skills as a hunter would serve him well. Before Checotan left the tribe, however, Indatawake melted down his weapons and formed them into a horn ring for his son to wear. Kurshaw and the Shadowhoof Eventually, Checotan met Kurshaw, future chieftess of the Shadowhoof tribe. He was accepted as her mate, and has made a new home among the Shadowhoof people. This is described in slightly more detail on the page of Kurshaw Shadowhoof. Personality Calm and quiet, with a slow-burning temper, he dislikes conflict. Checotan often comes across as reserved because he chooses his words so methodically before speaking. Being quite intelligent, he resents any comment that may imply otherwise - calling his race the “bull men” or “dumb brutes” is one of quickest ways to make him angry. He loves to work with hands and bend his mind to solve a problem, so in that degree he has a natural talent for many professions, such as engineering. However, he rejects anything that he considers “un-traditional”, engineering included. Preserving tradition is the great passion of his live, and he pursues it with zen-like focus. If one wanted to criticize him, they could say that he was chained to it. Position in the Tribe As Sakem, he functions as his Matriarch’s eyes and ears. He often handles the smaller tasks that she is too busy to touch. Though Kurshaw’s leadership and combat skills easily surpass his own, he is considered the tribe’s main diplomat. His agreeable nature and strong command of Orcish enables him to weather difficult meetings with Horde and Grimtotem emissaries. Most Recent Actions Checotan has gone missing, without any warning to his tribe members. Shaman Whitetail claims that he has gone on a spiritual journey. He has been missing for several months. Trivia *Checotan was the player’s first hunter. *Checotan was originally a female shaman, “Checota”, on the Steamwheedle Cartel US realm. Links *The Shadowhoof Tribe: Read more on our wiki page *The Shadowhoof Tribe: Our guild web site Category:Tauren Category:Horde Category:The Shadowhoof Tribe Category:Move to Archive